Rock Cakes

I have a gathering I am going to tonight, and decided to be nice, and fix some snacks to take with. I found this recipe in "The Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook". This is an amazing book, with a ton of great recipes. The original recipe is below, which I made one batch of. Flavoured with spices and raisins, these small cakes or buns are rocky-looking mounds, great favourites afternoon tea and in-between snacks. They are easy and simple to prepare and keep well. The original recipe is good, but as I always do, i had to try to make it even better. *MY* recipe is below the original.

Rock Cakes
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3 tblsp brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup raisins or currants
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil, spray with Pam.

Into a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix in the sugar. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture is uniformly crumbly. Stir in raisin or currants. Add the egg and enough milk to make a stiff dough. Spoon onto prepared cookie sheet by the teaspoonful, about an inch apart.

Bake in a preheated oven until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Beast's Rock Cakes
2 cups ground oats
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3 tblsp brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup raisins or currants
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
Fruit jam, your choice of flavors

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil, spray with Pam.

Into a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix in the sugar. Stir in raisin or currants. Melt the butter, and mix with the milk, and then the egg. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, to make a stiff dough. Roll two tsps of dough into a ball, then place on the cookie sheet. press down in the middle with your thumb to make an impression. Fill the impression with about 1/2 tsp of jam.


Bake in a preheated oven until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.